


The Lost City

by CyanideRadiance



Category: The Dragon Prince (Cartoon)
Genre: Adventure & Romance, Captive, F/M, Minor Violence, Rayllum Big Bang, definitely... going to update tags later, short chapters because rip my writing style, very loosely atlantis au
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-02-01
Updated: 2020-07-13
Packaged: 2021-02-27 23:34:54
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 9
Words: 16,237
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22514080
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CyanideRadiance/pseuds/CyanideRadiance
Summary: “Ray, you know we don’t have a choice. And you agreed to it knowing what was going to happen.” He leaned towards her, cupping her face and forcing her to look at him. “I know you’re scared, Princess. But I’m right here with you.”She placed one of her trembling hands over his. “What a sad prince. Don’t look at me like that.”Legend has it that the lost Xadian city of A’Geleach harbored a dangerous weapon. Rayla, Queensguard in training, thought the legend was simply another bedtime story. Then, the humans came storming in, ripping apart her world. In a desperate attempt to save her princess, Rayla becomes a prisoner to Katolis. Narrowly managing to escape her captors, she seeks out help from Prince Callum.In a race against time, the unlikely pair travel across the continent in search of a mysterious key rumored to bring salvation to the captive people of A’Geleach.
Relationships: Callum/Rayla (The Dragon Prince)
Comments: 106
Kudos: 133





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hi all! This is my story for the Rayllum Big Bang, done in collaboration with Toni who is an amazing artist and the best partner I could have asked for. You can find Toni at [here](http://toniboloniartzandfartz.tumblr.com/) and [here](http://whencreativitystrikess.tumblr.com/) on tumblr.  
> I'll be posting a chapter a day. Hope you enjoy!!

Rayla’s world was in ruins.

There was nothing she could do to stop it. She and Runaan had run in search of the royals as the land shook and screams permeated the air, but it all seemed futile. At first, it had seemed like some sort of natural occurrence. Perhaps an earthquake? But then the shouts outside became words.

_“Dhaoine! Dhaoine!”_

Her stomach sank.

 _Humans_.

They had found them.

She looked over at Runaan, trying to squish the panic threatening to overtake her throat. He was known for his stony demeanor, but the look her gave her made him look anything but collected. If even _he_ was alarmed…

“The princess,” she said.

“The queen,” he spoke at the same time.

With a quick nod, they each went in separate directions in search of their quarry. When heavy footfalls set her teeth on edge, she jumped into one of the many winding secret passages within the castle. A silent witness to the atrocities faced by her people. Their anguish translated to a physical pain for her. She covered her mouth to deafen her own gasps, but stubbornly kept her eyes glued to the scenes before her as she hurried through. She refused to let any tears fall. She had a job to do, and she could not rest until it was done.

She scurried through the damp and musty corridors once more, headed to the princess’ room. She had to get there before the foreigners. It was the most likely place for the princess if no one else had gotten to her first. The conversations in passing from the outsiders sent chills through her.

“But Fen—”

“ _No._ Amaya, Opeli, all of them. They don’t know about this. And they’re not going to find out. Viren is backing us. So if I want to murder a bastard elf or three, by hell, I’m going to do it.” There was a horrid gurgling, and the sound of a body thumping to the floor. “And if you want, you can do it, too.”

“They have families, too.”

“I don’t see you crying about any other dead animals when we go on hunts. So why are these beasts any different? Go ahead. Do it.”

The noise of splitting flesh would haunt her forever.

Still, she pushed forward.

Her heart began to pound as she pushed aside the false wall panel. Huddled against the corner was a slender figure, pale hair hiding what Rayla knew was a young face. “Princess Rionna!” she sighed in relief. The child spun toward her voice, tears filling pale blue eyes as she threw herself into Rayla’s arms. She’d found the princess, and she was in one piece.

Tears of relief pushed into her own eyes, but she shoved them aside.

 _Focus,_ she admonished herself.

“Are you alright, Princess?”

“Rayla! Where is everyone? I don’t know what’s happening!”

Her heart clenched. The poor girl was so _young_. She couldn’t possibly understand the implications of this invasion.

“Everything will be okay,” she promised weakly. “We’ll get you to safety.”

She ushered the trembling girl into the tunnels, rushing to the closet and grabbing some clothes for her to change into just in case. She handed them to the princess. “I know you hate pants, but it’ll be easier for us to move.”

She nodded mutely and began to change as Rayla scoured the room for some more war paint. She’d leave a note for Runaan and the other guards on the wall. With a shaky hand, she etched out a simple phrase.

 _A ’caoineadh fhlùraichean_.

_Weeping flowers._

They would know where to find the princess. There was a grove just north of the castle in which a safe place was built beneath a cluster of lyre flowers. It was locked by magic and better concealed than even the secret passages.

She bent to pick up the child, but a small hand held up stopped her. “Rayla, are they… Looking for me and my parents?”

“Yes… And no,” she cringed. She had an idea of what they were here for. And if her theory was to be proven true, then they would need one of the female royals, according to the legend.

Princess Rionna frowned. “The _Iuchair Arcanum_?” she asked.

The Key of Arcanum.

A fabled key of magic rumored to grant its holder power over the six types of magic.

“Yes,” Rayla sighed. “Aaravos’ Key.”

The little girl shuddered, wrapping her arms tightly around Rayla’s neck as she was lifted. “Don’t they know it doesn’t even exist!” she cried out.

Softly, she mumbled, “I don’t know what they know.” She began to run, trying her best to not jostle the little one around so much.

“And you’ll protect me?” Rayla scanned her face, a mix between fear and hope and confusion. The teal markings across her skin not totally unlike her own.

An idea.

Dangerous, but efficient.

“Stay here a sec, Princess.”

She hurried into the nearest room, pausing a few beats to listen to the outside noises. It seems they had already gone through this one. It looked like a tornado had swept across the room, but at least there weren’t any bodies on the ground.

Before a cracked mirror, she painted on extra artificial markings to compliment her natural ones, constantly glancing over to study that of the young royal’s. When she was finished, she looked closely at her work, impressed by the steadiness of her hand. She wanted to match any possible descriptions they had of the princess.

It felt like a million different versions of her were looking back through each of the facets on the broken mirror. All pieces of her, but individual in ways she couldn’t exactly pinpoint. She took a deep breath.

_Now for the hardest part._

She raised a now violently shaking hand to her hair, gripping one of her blades tightly. “It grows back,” she promised her reflection, but that Rayla looked dubious. Such a simple act, and yet it was a confirmation.

Her life as she knew it was _dead_.

And this was only the beginning.

Her gaze cut back into her. Sharp and unyielding. Bitter and angry and fierce. _It has to be done_. With a strangled noise, she yanked her hand through the snowy strands.

Now was not the time to mourn. Not the time to hesitate. She had to get out of this alive. There were people that were relying on her.

Princess Rionna gave a gasp as Rayla rejoined her. “You look like you could be my sister!”

“Good,” she nodded. “That’s exactly what I wanted. We need to go. Are you ready, Princess?”

It wasn’t long before they ran into another.

“Lujanne!” Rayla sighed in relief. “What happened? You’re supposed to—”

“Not now,” the Guardian said, eyes wildly glancing around. We have to get to the safe spot. They have someone who can disrupt my illusions.”

Rayla thought she was going to throw up. This was not looking good for anyone.

Once the princess was settled into the safe space, quietly munching on some of the dried foods, Rayla took Lujanne aside, whispering harshly, “Why aren’t you at the Moon Nexus? I thought you were our protector.”

“They came and killed Nienni. I couldn’t hold them back by myself. I had to flee to warn the king and the queen. What choice did I have? What would _you_ have me do?”

She shook her head slowly. “No, you were right. I just… I don’t really know what to do either. Do they know it’s a Nexus?”

“No, they just think it’s an entry point. If they ever figure it out, and they know the importance of a Nexus, there is no saving A’Geleach.”

“There’s no saving the Moonshadow,” Rayla breathed in horror.

“I don’t know what to do. I must find the queen and king before anything.”

“I have a plan. I’m not sure if it will work, but if it buys an inkling of time, it’ll have been worth it. Just keep the princess safe.”

The Guardian gently traced the war paint across Rayla’s face, sad smile as she recognized the pattern. “Of course… Your Majesty.”

She cringed at the words. “Am I stupid for even trying?”

“As far as I’m concerned,” Lujanne sighed, “Being proactive is worth more than being reactive.”

Rayla frowned, rubbing her arm. “But it’s _not_ being proactive or reactive or whatever. It’s just grasping at straws and hoping one will work.”

“Rayla…”

Echoing Lujanne’s earlier words, she uttered, “What choice do I have?”

The older elf nodded slowly, eyes faraway. “We all have a choice. The only hope is that we’ve made the _right_ one.”

Rayla swallowed uneasily. “Please, keep the princess safe.”

She gave a ghost of a smile, barely there amusement. “How can I keep the princess safe when she’s running off into danger?”

Rayla rolled her eyes. “I’m not a princess _yet._ ”

“For all intents and purposes, you will be once your foot crosses that threshold outside. You need to get used to it.”

There was nothing joyous in her bark of laughter. “Oh, yes. Of course, silly me. Queensguard turned princess. Nothing about that sounds like a wreck waiting to happen!”

“The humans know close to nothing about our customs. You can just write any mistakes off as culture. The lie you are to live must become the truth in your heart. Otherwise, you’re in danger of exposing yourself and us.”

“I know,” she gulped. “Anything for my people,” she vowed, tying her newly shortened hair back. “ _Anything._ ”


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The painfully short chapters continue! Hope you enjoy. Thank you everyone for the kind words and comments!!

_ How long? _

How long had she been trapped in this hellhole? Time meant nothing to her, but she counted best she could based on the injuries she sustained. With every faded bruise, a notch to the wall was added, courtesy of her horn. Seeing the scratches filled her stomach with lead, so she’d actually stopped counting around several months. The tallies were disheartening, and she was at a point where she couldn’t afford to think about that anymore.

Howls echoed within the catacombs that she was caged in, but she never was sure of their origin. Skeletons and graves littered what limited vision she had. And the only interaction she’d had with anyone besides herself was limited to Viren and his daughter Claudia. Someone else, a male, often came in as well, but she never saw him. Just heard his boyish voice banter. She’d never caught his full name either, but Claudia often called him Sor-Bear.

She glanced over at her skeletal companion, an elf by the horns embedded within the cranial bones. “What’s next?” she asked it. In the beginning, she had been terrified. She wasn’t sure what these humans were capable of, especially when they brought in their Dark Magic. It made her stomach roil just thinking about the lives they constantly took to inflict whatever brand of torture they had up their sleeves.

She’d gotten lucky. They always asked the wrong questions, even when they’d tossed some sort of truth spell at her. Reality was  _ relative _ . And they had yet to understand that, despite the circular answers she’d continuously gave.

“ _ Tell us about the key. _ ”

Sure, thing. But they never said which key. The key to the armory was pretty and simple. Always found in the pockets of the handful of head guards. But they were surprisingly lenient as to who had access. Elves were fond of trying out different weapons. Made training more interesting and challenging. Oh, you weren’t talking about that key? Well, the key to the kitchen—

_ “Where is the key?” _

Well, the legends she knew were full of hints, but she didn’t know  _ where  _ technically. And which key were they talking about again? Because she’d told them where the armory key was, and the key to—

“ _ We’re talking about Aaravos’ Key.” _

Oh, that old thing. It’s all over the place in the palace. Hung up on the walls, written about in books.  _ Where _ is such a relative term, Viren. You know, that key is even in this restaurant–

_ “Where is the Nexus?” _

They were going to be a bit more specific than that. Which Nexus were they talking about? There was one for each of the magic types. Unless they were talking about the restaurant called Nexus? They closed the one near the palace down, but there were a few other locations. There may have been one near the public orchard and another one down –

And on and on it went.

She’d lost track of their visitations.

Gently, she fingered her shortened strands of hair, starting to feel all sorts of gunk in it. Some were marred by rust stains from her wounds. She’d be getting a cleaning soon. Probably within the next mark on the wall. As much as she tried to struggle, Claudia made sure Rayla’s grooming was kept up. There was even a time when the mage had shorn her locks to where she barely felt the tips against her neck. In some ways, she was like a little doll. Theirs to dress up and tear down as they please.

It disgusted her. Made her skin crawl and her heart pound.

It was some sort of paralysis spell that made everything around her fuzzy. Once she came back to, she physically felt pristine and inwardly felt violated. Apparently, her captors were greatly concerned with hygiene. She assumed it was because they didn’t want her dead from an infection or other easily avoided health concerns. As her tongue tapped against her sharpened incisors, she winced. Even her teeth got brushed.

She rubbed her arms as a chill scuttled across her spine. There was no privacy as a captive. No rights, no respect.

To them, she was a dog.

And it was only a matter of time before she finally barked.

It was no one’s fault when the rat she’d been sharing her food with scurried along the roof of the catacombs and knocked some sort of charm that had been hanging above her cell. As it shattered across the floor, Rayla felt her magic sort of swell up within her. Familiar and welcome. Her captors had somehow managed to lock down most of it with their forbidden arts. It was like she could breathe again after being continuously smothered.

Power surged through her veins.

She gripped the bars between her hands, welcoming the cold bite of the metal against her hands. They were right to fear her during a full moon. She felt unstoppable as she tugged them apart despite the general weakness sneaking across her body. They never really did feed her well enough, but it was sufficient.

She slipped through, nearly collapsing. She hadn’t taken more than a few steps in so long that her legs were shaky. Annoyed at her physical state, she pushed on, fingertips pressed against the strip of wall separating the bone sectionals.

She had to escape, but how? She thought back on the passing conversations from her captors, but nothing seemed useful. She knew of King Harrow and his sons, but that didn’t do anything for her. No human was about to help an elf. Especially if the elf was supposedly the princess.

Eventually, she made it outside, staring at her reflection in a pond filled with lazily swimming fish. A stranger was looking back, completely disinterested. But she could see a symphony of emotions playing rapidly beneath the façade. She didn’t even bother trying to identify any of them. None of them were good, despite the small victory in escaping overall. She had too many mountains left to climb.

Gently, she reached into the water, causing ripples across her face. All the painted markings had long since faded, some chipping off under her nails as she had scratched at herself. Others still had been scrubbed off by the harsh rubbing of cloth across her skin.

The fish swam up to her lingering fingers in hopes of being fed. “I’m sorry,” she whispered. “I’ve got nothing.”

A paper gently floated down before her. Dirtied hands snatched at it eagerly. She had forgotten about the messengers. The torn seal drifted by her toes, but she paid it no mind. Rapidly, her eyes scanned across Runaan’s scribble. It took her a moment to understand the elvish characters. It wasn’t often they used the ancient language, but all guards were taught to read and write it. She couldn’t be more thankful for it now. As she finished the first one, another note fluttered from the sky. And then another and another until she held ten.

After reading all of them, she closed her eyes tightly, words floating around her mind.

_ Sàbhailte. Marbh. Gun bhiadh. Glaiste. A bheil thu eadhon beò? Gun an còrr. _

_ Safe. Dead. No food. Trapped. Are you even alive? No more. _

They were mostly safe. Wondering her state. The humans had decimated the population, and many soldiers were still stationed there. Food supplies had been cut off. And he had to stop sending messages before getting caught.

She looked up as the Xadian messenger birds flew towards the sinking moon and presumably back to A’Geleach. How long had they been searching for her? Waiting for her presence to be made known again? What had that damned hex over her cell even  _ done  _ to her?

She had to go home. She had to liberate the imprisoned city. But how? She was no one and utterly alone. She needed a moment to gather her thoughts before doing anything rash.

_ Breathe _ , she reminded herself weakly.

She could feel her magic weakening. Her eyes shot upwards, unease blossoming. The nearly black sky was inching towards daylight’s powder blue.

“Damnit,” she hissed, turning away from the water and wrinkled pages within her grasp. Searching for somewhere to hide until night came once more. Just before she took off into a random direction, leaves crackled to her left. 

Her head snapped to the sound, and the silhouette had her hands instinctively go to her hips. But there were no swords to bring even the slightest of comfort. She clenched her fists in preparation. Running was no longer an option, but she refused to go down without a fight.

As the glories from the rising dawn peaked across the sky, her shadowed form began to fade where light hit her. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Who will she meet tomorrow...?


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What happens when Rayla is the one asking for help and not Callum?  
> Thank you everyone for the kind words of encouragement <3 Enjoy!  
> Bonus sketch by Toni at the bottom!

A human stepped into her view, squinting. “I must be seeing things,” he muttered lowly.

Rayla rapidly scanned his form, heart sinking as she took note of his clothes and sketchbook. He had to be a noble of some sort. Not many people could afford to dress as luxuriously as he, even though the style itself was simple. She knew certain dyes and materials were costly.

He shut his eyes tightly, reopening them after a few beats. But she remained rooted to the spot. She couldn’t decide what to do. He had already seen her, and there was nothing she could do to make him forget.

He raised his hands in a show of harmlessness. “What is going on?” he asked lowly. “You’re… You’re an  _ elf _ .”

She refrained from rolling her eyes. No shit she was an elf.

“Elves haven’t been in Katolis for centuries,” he continued. Was that awe or horror or disgust she heard? Or all?

She swallowed thickly, pushing down her pride as best as she could. She knew she couldn’t do this alone, and it was worth a shot. “I need your help.”

The sun fully peaked out, and she reverted back to her normal form. He gasped, finally having noticed her disheveled state. “Are you alright?” There was a tremble to his voice. She must’ve looked pretty bad, then.

“I am Rayla, Princess of A’Geleach.” Her voice caught a bit as she tried out the foreign title on her tongue. The lie tasted strange and acidic, but she couldn’t risk giving him the full truth. It would put others in danger. “Viren kidnapped me and has held me hostage since the destruction of my city. I need to get back home and help my people.”

He doubled over laughing, holding his sides. “Oh, that’s a good prank. Did Soren put you up for this? How did he get you to look so _real?_ ” He stepped up to her, gazing at the intricate patterns of her horns and face. At her silence, he straightened away from her, amusement fading into a frown. “Wait a minute. You’re not joking, are you?”

“I need your help,” she said again.

“With what, exactly? By all means, you are my enemy.”

“I—”

“Technically speaking anyways.”

She had the feeling it was still some sort of joke to him, and she didn’t have the patience to walk him through her particular situation. There was a bigger picture here that he was missing.

“Please,” she begged, hating the weakness in her voice. But what choice did she have? She thought back to her last conversation with Lujanne before being captured. What she had said then still held true, all these blurry months later. Anything for her people. Anything, anything _.  _ “We are  _ dying.  _ This isn’t just murder. It’s a genocide.”

What part of that did he not understand?

His face was still painfully blank, but the movement of his Adam’s apple was all the indication she needed. He was finally hearing what she was saying, but, more importantly, he was  _ listening. _ Yet his next words had her stomach sinking. “Look, how do I know you’re not lying? Viren is family. Besides, he’s  _ human _ . And if you actually have magic like elves are supposed to, then what can a mere human do against all of you?”

“Viren is not just a human,” she reminded him angrily. “He’s an extremely powerful Dark mage. Or did you not know that about him either?”

He scoffed. “Of course, I know about Viren’s magic practices. He’s the one that’s teaching me how to use a Primal Stone.” He pulled something out from his bag. A storm silently raged within the glass orb, and Rayla froze as it brought flashes of phantom pain across her body.

That was Claudia’s, wasn’t it?

At her blank expression, he quickly stuffed it back into its holder. “It belongs to h-his daughter, but I have it on a sort of loan until they find another one for me.”

She’d had enough of this. Every moment she spent with him was another moment wasted. Another life taken.

“Moonshadow are a peaceful people,” she gritted out. All he had to do was say yes. That’s  _ all  _ he had to do. Why was he being so difficult? “We did nothing to deserve this.”

“I’m a peaceful people too until I or one of my loved ones are threatened. Why not do something to protect yourselves. Fight back. I’ve heard the stories of your lost city. Al Ganache or whatever.”

“A’Geleach,” she corrected hurriedly. He shot her a look, but she continued. “That’s all they are.  _ Stories _ told by humans to cover up their own atrocities. Yes, Xadia and the Seven Kingdoms were at war. War means death and other awful, awful things. Crimes committed by  _ everyone _ . No side can be completely blameless. Surely, they taught you that much. And if they didn’t, I hope you’re not stupid enough to think humans aren’t without their own shortcomings.”

Darkened emerald bored into her, but now his eyes were torn. She was just about ready to give up. A quick punch would surely be enough to easily escape, mage or not. It would seem she had years of combat experience on the prince.

“Look, Princess. I don’t really get the problem here. You say your people are dying. Fine. But how? Why? You say Viren trapped them, but you’re standing before me? Why weren’t  _ you  _ trapped?”

She was tempted to roll her eyes, but endless training at the court prevented her from doing so. Guards, particularly Queensguards, were trained practically alongside royals. A folly from a royal’s protector was a folly on the royal themselves. And no one wanted to deal with that sort of political fallout.

Instead, she clenched her teeth. This was a delicate situation that required some finessing unfortunately. And she was not the best at that.

She was tempted to tell him to just trust her. But she knew how ridiculous that notion was. Their people had evolved to become natural enemies through countless years or anger and simmering hatred. Had she not been so aware of how alone she was in the situation, she wouldn’t have even put her own shaky trust in him. She didn’t even know his name, and she was asking him to help her save her people.

“They took me hostage for answers I can’t give. They are killing them, and they are starving them. I don’t know all the details because I’ve been locked away in the catacombs for who knows how long. Believe me or don’t, but I’m done wasting my time,” she said, already turning away.

“Wait,” he said. His hand wrapped around her arm, and she fought the instinct to swat at it. She turned to him expectantly. His brow furrowed, and he worried his lip for a moment. “I—”

“Callum?” A new voice.

“Rayla?”  _ And Viren _ .

Chills snaked across her skin.

Her throat tightened unexpectedly. It was hard to breathe for a moment and there was a strange sort of tugging against her larynx before the feeling passed. She thought nothing of it so caught up in the situation as she was.

She turned slowly. Her eyes were immediately drawn to the stranger’s head. The crown was all the indication she needed.

The king of Katolis.

This couldn’t be happening. She  _ never  _ wanted to be back underground. But she couldn’t outrun three people. That’s it. It was over for her. She’d barely gotten to feel the moonlight against her skin before it was all taken away. Surely, he would just order her to be killed.

“She’s a princess,” the boy said. Callum, was it? “And—”

“Rayla,” Viren said. Her eyes immediately sought him out, the smoldering within her turning into an enraged blaze. He was a monster, yet each watched her like  _ she _ was the savage. Like  _ she  _ was the one that had committed unspeakable crimes against people that could hardly defend themselves. “What are you doing out here? Is everything alright?” He seemed so concerned, but it was easy to see the coldness. The anger and promise of punishment.

She hated him so much.  _ So _ , so much. If she ever got her hands on him… She’d never killed anyone before, nor had she ever  _ wanted  _ to. But she’d make an exception for the Dark mage.

The king looked over at him, eyes narrowed. “Viren, what is the meaning of this?”

Rayla opened her mouth but found she couldn’t speak. She looked up, noticed the mage held something in his hand. She should’ve known he’d taken her voice before she’d even had a chance to use it.

“Ah, Harrow. I… I meant to tell you. The princess… She came in hopes of reaching some sort of a… A peace treaty. She arrived  _ very _ late last night, traumatized by an attack on her entourage. She was the only one that made it. I figured I’d wait until you were up to inform you.”

She began to shake her head. The tightening of the lines around Viren’s eyes and mouth stopped her, though. She didn’t want to stay idle, but the consequences if she wasn’t outweighed her desire to act out any way she could.

The King scanned her body calculatingly, gaze catching briefly on the aberrations across her skin and clothes. “If you’ve _truly_ come with pure intentions to mend the broken relationship between elves and humans, I would be remiss to not at least hear what you have to say.”

She nodded vigorously. To be fair, she wasn’t lying completely. She  _ was  _ trying to help the elf and human separation that existed. 

Sort of.

“You’re clearly exhausted, but I can’t risk people learning of your presence with no explanation. We’ll have to have some sort of celebration to introduce you. What time frame within the next week will be alright?” She had no choice but to maintain her silence. It went on for a bit too long before the king continued, “We can discuss it more after you’ve had some rest, perhaps.”

“Her voice was damaged in the scuffle, but we are working to find a spell that can repair it,” Viren interjected.

Callum narrowed his eyes, looking back and forth between Rayla and Viren, but she made no move to contradict the lie.

“I don’t—” Callum began.

Viren interrupted, “I’ll take her back to the room, Harrow. We can—”

“My office,” the king ordered.

“Yes, but—”

“ _ Now _ , Viren.”

The king tilted his head at Rayla as he stormed off, but Viren lagged a bit. “Of course, of course. But I’m going to escort the princess to her room. Callum, don’t forget you have training with Soren right now.” Again, the young noble looked like he might protest. “A prince must keep up with his duties if he hopes to have any success as a political figure.”

As Viren led her past him, she noticed the small snarl beginning to form on the prince's face. Maybe he would come to realize the Dark mage wasn’t who he thought he was after all.

Once they were out of earshot and alone, Viren whirled on her, crushing something in his palm as magic tentacles wrapped around her hands tightly. “You  _ idiot, _ ” he snarled, getting into her face. “Do you have any idea the trouble you have caused? You’re going to regret ever being born. And I swear to you, if you ever see the light of day again after this celebration, it shall be in death.”

She clenched her teeth, words clustering against her throat. Dancing on the tip of her tongue. But nothing escaped aside from air. In his other palm, she noticed a glow. At her interest, he raised it to be level with his head, wiggling his hand a little. “It’s a shame your voice was permanently damaged from those ruffians. At least you can write.”

She gave an angry puff of air, trying to control her shaking. Any fear that she’d had was whisked away by the corruption made evident by the blackened veins and creeping wrinkles across his face. Dark magic had not treated him well, but he was so very good at hiding it. Cosmetics were easy to fix. But his soul… It was rotten to the core.

“Well, at least you can write  _ for now _ , anyways. If you try  _ anything _ , it’s unfortunate that there was a hate crime against you in the middle of the night, leaving both of your hands incapacitated. Be smart about this, Princess.”

If looks could kill, she had no doubt he’d be dead a thousand times over and more.

She refused to be discouraged. She would have another opportunity. She had to be as patient as she could, biding her time carefully.

_ His sins would not go unpunished. _

That much she promised herself.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I totally 100% forgot to upload yesterday. Let's just blame it on school.  
> For anyone reading Bleeding Stars, I will have that updated this upcoming Sunday! Thought it was worth mentioning since I usually upload that on Wednesdays.
> 
> Hope you enjoy this chapter!! Thank you so much everyone for reading and commenting. It really does make a difference, and I always feel so encouraged to continue!

Rayla really didn’t know much about anything anymore. Viren and his children had constantly transported her around the castle, purposefully taking obscure routes so she wouldn’t learn any of them. But it didn’t matter. Eventually, she just needed to get outside. Her plan was shaky at best, particularly because she didn’t actually  _ have  _ a plan. 

As the mages healed her wounds throughout the following days, Claudia was doing her best to not seem excited over the dress up task she had been given. It seemed to Rayla that the Dark mage had a severe lack of friends with whom she could share enjoyment over more mundane and material things like fashion. 

On and on, Claudia went. Long, short,  _ way  _ too short, long-sleeved, no sleeves, flowy, tight, complicated, a little too simple. 

Rayla was constantly tugging the fabric, holding it up between calloused fingers so unused to the luxurious clothing against her skin. She tried not to look into the mirror they provided because she knew it would only make her all the more uncomfortable. She was lucky that they thought her discomfort was because of the situation. An elf being doted on humans was strange for both parties. The humans weren’t  _ wrong _ , but most of the tenseness across her body was because of the alien feel of such expensive adornments.

She didn’t even know what the seamstresses had decided on, although she knew Claudia had the last say in it. She felt raw and wanted nothing more than to give the next person to touch her a very nasty black eye. She must’ve given off that violent air, noting how tthe guards seemed to hang back more than they usually did, keeping their hands wrapped around the swords at their sides.

_ That’s what I thought, assholes. Keep walking,  _ she mentally growled at them

When the day of the feast or celebration or whatever it was finally came, most of it was a blur. She was dumped into nearly boiling water, skin scrubbed red. They stuck artificial colors to her lips. Dusted them against her cheeks and eyes. Twisted her hair and placed all sorts of bobbles into the silvery strands. 

Were those  _ flowers? _

She didn’t care enough to check. The circlet against her forehead stung coldly. The bands around her arms, wrists, and ankles were more like shackles than jewelry. Her fingertips lightly grazed the dangling earrings. They’d pierced her ears, she realized numbly. Greens and blues and purples draped across her figure, light and layered. Her feet had been forced into more torture devices in the form of heels.

Was this what it felt like to be royalty? She missed the comfort of her Queensguard uniform. It was functional, familiar, and protective. In this, she felt like they had tossed several bed sheets on her and called it fashion. To be fair, she often felt that way about elven nobility’s clothes. At least she’d found a commonality.

At first, the humans had debated amongst themselves if they should hide her natural markings down her cheeks. And it seemed like they had tried several times before giving up. Rather, they created intricate patterns across her hands and arms. As if trying to make her even more distinguishable and  _ alien _ . Because the horns and ears weren’t a dead giveaway already.

She’d rolled her eyes, trying to scratch off the paint, but it proved durable against her unnaturally clean nails. Someone swatted at her hand, now full of rings, and she huffed in annoyance. The more she fought against them, however, the more they poked and prodded at her painfully.

Once everyone had almost all filtered out of the room, Claudia waved her over. “You’ll be introduced, and then we will have a feast. You’re expected to dance with one of the princes and normally say a few words. But I guess you can’t really do that last part with your injured throat.”

There was nothing Rayla could do but offer a fierce and silent snarl.

“The guards will take you in,” she continued lightly. Her eyes scanned across Rayla’s body, surveying her closely. “ _ Now  _ you look like royalty.”

There was a moment of horror as she tried to figure out how Claudia had learned she wasn’t actually a royal. But she was led out of the room almost carelessly, and she realized what exactly Claudia was trying to say. Of course she wouldn’t look like a princess while locked up. No one would look like one under those circumstances.

Her thoughts were interrupted as she was pushed away by clanking knights, faces hidden by helmets.

Eventually, they arrived at imposing large double doors. She took a deep breath to compose herself as they turned the nobs. A voice rang out somewhere before her, “Her Royal Highness, Princess of the Moonshadow Kingdom.” She stepped forward and felt the weight of immeasurable eyes upon her. She did her best to keep upright and rigid. They couldn’t know the lie she had tried her best to live since she’d stepped outside of the safe room too many moons ago.

She descended down the grand staircase, staring straight ahead. Her heart pounded with every movement and sound of her dress. She was afraid of falling but looking down to watch her step felt like a sign of weakness. Instead, she pressed her fingertips lightly against the railing to guide her. Eventually, she made her way next to the king. He welcomed her with a smile that didn’t exactly reach his eyes, but she appreciated the effort.

“Princess Rayla has travelled across treacherous lands to meet with Katolis in hopes of peace. She is the king’s guest, and we welcome possible negotiations with open arms as the Moonshadow have also offered to do. To peace!”

Everyone raised their glasses to her, and she tried her best to give a gentle smile. It felt more like a grimace, but no one seemed eager to point it out. Because of her muteness, King Harrow had wisely placed her at the edge of the table. It was difficult for others to get to her, and the need for socialization was greatly decreased.

On her other side was the crown prince. Ezran, as he had introduced himself, was clearly younger than the other prince. Why wasn’t Callum next in line for the throne? Either way, the heir apparent had a soothing air about him, joking with Rayla in a low voice as if they were old friends despite her lack of vocalizations. He spoke of many of the occupants at the table, often poking fun at them one way or another.

He was so kind it caught her offguard. As he continued filling the silence, she wished desperately she’d sought him out or had run into him rather than the other one. She had a feeling Ezran would’ve helped her escape without too many questions. He seemed like the type to go forth and wonder later.

“Alright, that’s enough flicking your eyes around,” he said with a raised brow. “Are you looking for Callum?”

She choked on her drink, patting at her mouth roughly. No, she most certainly was not doing that. He was a coward, and she wanted nothing to do with him. At the expectant nod from Ezran, she shook her head enthusiastically. 

_ No _ , she mouthed, deliberate and clear.

“You don’t have to lie to me. He already told me a bit about you.”

She couldn’t help the curiosity that morphed her face. He took a long sip from his drink, obviously watching her from the corner of his eye.

“You’re wondering what he told me.”

_ Of course _ , she confirmed silently.

“And you want me to tell you.”

She snored.  _ So you’re the smart one _ , she thought snidely. Glad that at least her thoughts were her own.

“I—”

“Will the princess and our prince lead us in the first dance?” King Harrow interrupted, booming voice carrying across the enormous room. The words seemed to echo despite the numerous furniture and decorations and people filling the space.

Ezran gave a deep nod, offering his arm. Rayla hesitated a little too long to take it, but she was terrified. She could barely handle the elven dances she had been taught. There’s no way she could do this. Someone tugged on her other hand, and she turned to look up at the newcomer.

_ Prince Callum _ .

He helped her stand, smiling at the guests all the while. “Would Crown Prince Ezran and his Lady Ellis join us?”

Ezran leapt to his feet enthusiastically, going around the table to give his elbow for another young woman to place her gloved fingers against.

Rayla once more turned to Callum, eyes wide with panic she could no longer hide. She shook her head minutely, digging her heels into the ground as subtly as possible as he tugged her along.

“We have scores of ancient elven music that my father had the band modify.” That didn’t help her. If anything, it made things worse. Hybrid dancing? These humans were as crazy as the stories said. She continued her resistance. “Please, Princess. It would be an insult if you didn’t.”

It wasn’t a matter of didn’t but more like she  _ couldn’t _ .

“Follow my lead,” he encouraged. Warm fingers wrapped around her waist as her own trembling hands found purchase against his shoulder and opened palm.

But even then, she was constantly stepping on his feet, looking down, and trying not to lose control of her breathing. Following a few badly placed stomps, he leaned into her ear, warm breath raising the hairs across her skin. “Step on my feet and stay there.”

She jerked back slightly, looking at him in surprise. Wouldn’t that hurt him? He shook his head reassuringly. “Steel toed boots.”

_ Oh _ . Of course. She gingerly placed her shoes atop of his, glad the asymmetry of her dress hid the action. If they moved fast enough, no one would notice. Especially with the excessive dance movements Ezran and Ellis were executing.

He leaned in once more. “Viren… Viren was lying, wasn’t he?”

Her throat went dry. Was he going to help her now? She tilted her chin back slightly to look up at him. She was about his height in the heels, but he was still a bit taller. As the world around them swirled and the music seeped into her, the fear in Lujanne’s voice and scattered across Princess Rionna’s face seemed to scream into her.

Her hand slipped down to his bicep, and she gave it an almost painful squeeze.  _ Do you believe me now?  _ she implored him silently.

“Princess Rayla…” he began lowly.

But then Ezran was at her side, stealing her away in a breath. She turned back to watch as Callum reluctantly began the dance with Lady Ellis, eyes trained on hers.

“There is nowhere safer from prying ears than on the dance floor,” the Crown Prince sighed. Unlike his brother, Ezran’s hand was up so high against her back that it was practically on her shoulder. “This is just the same four steps, so count them with me. Before you know it, it’ll become like breathing!”

“One,” a step to the left. “Two,” a step backward. “Three,” a step forward. “Four,” and a step right. Then he began pushing her, so they were no longer stationary.

“They kept you in the catacombs,” he said bluntly, watching her face closely. She did her best not to react. How could he have known? She definitely didn’t tell Callum about that. “I don’t want you to think I’m crazy, but I’m not… I’m not normal,” he cringed slightly.

She raised a brow, intrigued. What, was he half elf or something?

“I… I can speak to animals.”

Relief flooded her bones. She’d take that over him being a Dark mage any day. Besides, if that was true, then the animals had told him about her. But how long had he known? Had he left her down there for that eternity? She tried to squash the irrational anger.

“There was a rat that I ran across a few days ago. And apparently, he bumped into you quite frequently. You fed him if I’m not mistaken? Viren’s kept you there for so long. I’m… I’m so sorry, Princess. But I want to help in any way I can. Tell me what to do.”

She sagged in relief. Where to even start?


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Aaaand ch5! Hope yall enjoy <3

It took time. Far more than Rayla would have liked, and judging by Ezran’s face, he wasn’t pleased with it either. Eventually they found a place where she could write outside, but it was difficult to be brief when he kept asking her so many questions. As he opened his mouth to ask her something else, a strange bird flitted around his shoulders.

“Pip!” the Crown Prince exclaimed. But then he began to frown, the sparkle in his eyes dimming. “Or not.” He seemed to listen closely to the squawks, expression becoming graver. “Oh, no. Rayla—”

Callum suddenly appeared, panic across his face. “Ez, we have a problem.” Then he turned to her. “A  _ huge _ problem. They think you did it, Princess.”

Did  _ what _ ? She’d been with Ezran the whole time. What was he talking about?

“Step away from the prince,  _ elf _ !” a guard called.

She looked at the two in confusion. What was going on?

Ezran shook his head. “The King… My dad’s been ‘murdered.’ But Viren just—”

“ _ Away! _ ” the guard repeated.

“It’s a lie! She didn’t  _ do  _ anything.” Callum reached out for her in a panic, brushing against her hand, but she was yanked from him. “She’s been with Ezran and I this whole time!” The fists at his side were just barely shaking.

“I demand you release her,” Ezran said, teeth clenching.

Viren stepped forward, shaking his head. “I’m afraid we can’t do that. We’re trying to protect the princess as we take steps to understand exactly what happened. I fear she will be blamed before we have time to appropriate investigate the situation.” He jerked his head, and she was manhandled away, presumably back to her dungeon.

She tried her best to dig her heels into the ground, struggle fiercely, but they were just too strong, especially as it was a new moon. Her heart sank. Were the brothers going to leave her down there to rot? Would they be able to even find her?

She glanced back to see both princes similarly being held back by more guards. She pushed her tears aside, trying to figure out how she would get out of this situation. It only became worse when Viren left, and his children took his place.

The had just walked down the steps to her old cell location when Callum called out a faint, “Wait! Guys, stop!”

“Callum,” Claudia said in warning, raising a hand. “You don’t want to get involved in things you don’t understand.”

“You  _ know _ this is wrong. I can’t let you guys do this,” he responded, index finger beginning to glow as he cradled his lent primal stone.

“She’s an  _ elf _ , Callum. You’re risking everything for a monster,” Soren added, raising his sword.

The prince looked at the dark mage. “I can’t beat your magic. Not by a long shot yet.” His gaze shifted. “And I sure as hell can’t beat you in a swordfight, Soren.”

“So then what are you going to do?” Claudia readied some bugs in the hand she had just offered peace with.

He swallowed thickly, beginning to draw. “ _ Apsiro _ ,” he breathed, and the gust of wind had everyone stumbling back a few steps. Enough so that the pair loosened their grip on Rayla. He darted forward, gripping her hand and pulling her toward him, away from the siblings. He gave Claudia a strained look. “I’m sorry.”

He threw down the primal stone with a reckless abandon. Even Rayla had to cringe. Primal stones were so rare and precious…The glass shattered all around them, looking like innumerous raindrops. Wind howled around them as thunder boomed and crackles of lightning illuminated the hallway.

“We have to go,” he told Rayla, but she had a feeling he was talking to himself. 

With the destruction of the orb came the loss of his magic. The implications pained her, but they had both made choices. 

Both suffered sacrifice.

And this was only the beginning.

It seemed like the pair had run for an eternity, but she was barely even winded by the time they reached a pair of gates. Callum had managed to take them all sorts of strange back routes. There were so many twists and turns that her head was spinning. To her surprise and relief, Ezran seemed to be waiting for them.

“Princess, Callum.” He nodded, grave expression.

“I can’t just leave you,” Callum said, glancing between his brother and Rayla. “With Viren around, you’re in danger.”

“With Viren around, we’re  _ all  _ in danger. But I’ll be okay. Dad… Dad’s not dead.”

“What do you mean?” he said, grabbing his upper arm in shock.

“It’s really complicated, and it’ll be tough to get him back. But he’ll help me figure this out. You guys need to go,  _ now. _ They’re coming!” He shoved a bag into Rayla’s hands and ran back towards the castle.

She glanced at Callum, seeing the conflict warring across his face. She felt bad, but was she willing to risk everything for a stranger? A stranger that was risking everything for her… She put her hand on his arm, giving it a brief squeeze. She pointed after Ezran. 

_ Go, _ she urged with her mouth.

But he frowned and shook his head vehemently. “No, Ez will be okay. And he was right. We have to go before they catch up to us.” He trailed off, and she knew he was trying to convince himself that was the truth more than actually speaking to her.

He began forward, but she lingered a few moments, staring after the gates that the Crown Prince disappeared behind. Was this really alright? She knew what she had to do, but it felt wrong dragging them into her mess after creating another one.

He grabbed her wrist and tugged her along. “C’mon. I have something for you.” As they continued, he pulled a clump of cloth from his pocket and presented it to her. She took it hesitantly, unwrapping the object with care. Chills ran down her spine when she saw what it was. A dried monkey paw? She wrinkled her nose in confusion. Why? How was she supposed to use this?

_ Oh! _

Realization dawned on her. She crushed it in her palm, gagging strangely at the odd sensation that filled her throat. It would be a few hours before she could talk normally, but she wanted to cry all over again. She looked up at him. “Thank you,” she forced out.

He shrugged. “I couldn’t let him keep your voice. He’d already taken enough.” He glanced at the sky, steeling himself for something. But she wasn’t sure what. “I’m… I’m sorry I let my biases cloud my judgement when I first met you. You’re not some blood-thirsty monster. You’re just trying to live like the rest of us.”

She swallowed thickly. The act costed him more than she’d know judging by his expression. And it meant more to her than he would ever realize. It was a peace offering. An apology. A show of his wobbly trust in her. But she was thankful, nonetheless.

Humans, she decided, were a dichotomy. They had destroyed her world, and yet there were some seeking to help save the same world others had decimated. She looked up at Callum, fear rearing it's ugly head. His people had killed her own, and he'd even denied her help at the beginning. 

Could she trust him? 

It didn't matter. She _would_ trust him. Or at least trust him enough to travel together. And only because she had to. Her only other choice would almost certainly end in death. Perhaps monsters weren't separated by "human" and "elf" but rather by intentions?

She thought of Runaan and Lujanne. Rionna and her parents.

Callum may turn on her one day, be the same person that would drive a sword through the chest of someone she loved. She would be prepared, ready to kill him before he killed any of them. Yet for now... For now she would take his aid, however unwilling he had been to give it.

“There’s a cabin deeper into the woods that I don’t think anyone knows about. We’ll rest there for the night before heading out. Let’s go.”

She looked at the trees surrounding them, suddenly missing the foliage of A’Geleach. What if she never got back? What if this was all futile?

Callum’s patient smile made her heart pound almost uncomfortably.

She was finally,  _ finally  _ free.


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello friendos. So I feel like it's really important for me to address pacing in this story? This was done for the Rayllum Big Bang, as some of you may know. Because of that, I tried to keep it closer to the 10k word mark, so it is VERY fast paced. If you ever feel like there are issues with it (as there definitely are) feel free to let me know! I may return to it one day, but as for now, I've decided to post it as it is. It was a blast to write, and I hope you enjoy it, flaws and all!

When they got to the cabin, Callum finally opened the bag Ezran had given them. There was enough coin to last the a few years, she gathered. He’d also given them food and some sort of blank book. A sketch book? Callum’s face lit up at it, so she assumed that’s what it was.

_ Ah, yes. The artist _ , Viren had sneered at something Claudia had told him.  _ If he has any hope of having any sort of royal position, his blood and his drawn lines will never be enough. And don’t even get me started on the other one. _

There were other miscellaneous things, and she’d already lost interest by the time he got to those. It was the last thing he pulled out, delicately and confused. It was some sort of map, filled with dots and random lines. She pondered over it, tracing her hand carefully across the slightly raised texture.

“What is this a map  _ of _ ?” she asked.

“I’m… I’m not sure. I’ve never seen anything like this before. I can’t even recognize some sort of big landmass on here. Doesn’t look familiar to you?”

She rolled her eyes. He should’ve gathered as much, but she answered anyways. “No, it just looks like paint splatters to me. Ugh, I hate abstract art.” She moved away to the hearth of the small fire they had started. She put a hand over her throat, thankful all over again for her voice. It had felt like an eternity since she’d last spoken.

“Where does it take us? Why did Ezran give it to us?” Callum ran his hands through his hair, parts of it sticking up at the consistent movements.

She tilted her head up, soaking in the warmth. “I’ll go look at it with you in a bit. Just give me a moment.”

This was the first time since her capture that she’d ever been truly free. Sure, they were being followed, but all of her shackles to that damned palace had fallen away. She watched him from the side of her eye, lingering on the curves of his ears and lack of horns.

What kind of elf would he have been? How would his horns have looked? She almost laughed at herself. It didn’t really make a difference to try and make him like her. He was human, and that couldn’t be changed.

Humans had condemned her, but humans had also helped her.

She thought back to the various skirmishes they’d heard about happening in Xadia. Elves could be just as violent and cruel as humans. The realization made her stomach sink. Viren had made her think all she’d heard was true. And the princes made her second guess that generalization.

“Why did Viren kidnap you? And why destroy A’Geleach? I don’t understand.”

She watched the flames twirl, swallowing thickly. “The  _ Iuchair Arcanum _ . The Key of Arcanum. Or maybe you know it as Aaravos’ Key.” She quieted as Princess Rionna, Lujanne, and Runnan’s faces popped up in her head. Were they okay? Was everyone alive? Were the King and Queen alright? If she ever made it back to A’Geleach, would it be in ruins?

“Aaravos’ Key? I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

She exhaled heavily. “How easily you humans forget. Without Aaravos, you would have no way of accessing your beloved Dark magic.”

“Please,” he said, going to her side and kneeling. “Can you tell me the story of Aaravos?”

She paused a moment, remembering the gentle timber of Tinker and the harsher snap of Runaan, each telling her different versions of the same story. It had been her favorite growing up because it was so fantastical and beautifully told. She hoped to do the story justice.

“Some of it is legend, and I’m not where reality and myth diverge. But it’s an archaic tale in A’Geleach. One of our oldest, perhaps. History get confusing to me. There once was a maiden, barely living in a world so cruel. The Archmage and his Elarion—”

“Wait a second. Elarion like the ancient kingdom?”

She shrugged. “I don’t know about your history. Will you let me finish?” Her pointed look had him falling back into his chair, defeated. He waved a hand, urging her on.

“Elarion’s people had been taken hostage. Some stories say it was an elven kingdom. I’m not sure which elves it was. Skywing? Earthblood? Others say it was a human kingdom. Katolis, maybe? Either way, that’s not what matters. See, human settlements were steadily falling as the militia continued their conquest. They wanted to take back the land, and their brutality was… unspoken. Elarion… She was left to die, and somehow, Aaravos found her.

“The Archmage was the only one who could wield all of the six Primal Sources. A Startouch elf, he was part of the most precious of us all, kissed by the gods themselves. Rarely are they found, and even more rarely are their stories ever told. Like the stars, their lifetime spans galaxies. Their existence, a burning mystery. They’re the closest thing to immortal here, and their views of the world almost make them seem like one of our gods made flesh, detached from the cogs of everyone else’s seemingly insignificant lives.

“Aaravos was no different. His heart was cold, a dead star. He chose to exile himself from the lands in search of knowledge. It is said that Elarion touched the sky, and he felt it. He heard her call. And upon finding her broken body, a fire within sparked. She was human, by all means his mortal enemy. But something about her, the way her eyes she traced his movements like the moon, her breath echoing like a cosmic wind… He was caught in her orbit, tracing bloodied shooting stars across her body where wounds had once been.

“She entered into his care, and she begged for him to help her. To… Help her people.” Rayla paused here a moment, suddenly realizing some of the eerie similarities with her own experience. She took a steadying breath, fidgeting with her hair.

“Even the stars, in all their blinding radiance, can become trapped within gentle palms. And Aaravos was helpless to say no. Tongue of stardust traced forbidden magic across the night skies. “Elarion,” the night sky cried her name. The stars worshipped her skin. Beings died so others could live. Unnatural things.  _ Dark _ things.

“He became a nebula, and Elarion was his first star. Together, they went to spread their black flames, empowering the humans by destroying others. She was the first Dark Mage, Mother of Midnight.

“When the other elves discovered his corruption of magic, they killed her. And trapped him in the sky. His fury and his pain were so great, he outshines the night, that which we call the Bleeding Star.” She pointed out the window towards the brilliant crimson star. “They say that’s him, waiting for another to catch him and bring him back down to us.” She swallowed thickly. “And a part of me thinks that would be the death of us all.”

Callum nodded thoughtfully, staring intently at the night. “And Aaravos’ Key?”

She nearly slapped herself. That was one of the most important parts of the story, and she’d completely gotten caught up in the star-crossed aspect.

“Of course. The  _ Iuchair Arcanum _ . He managed to hide from the other elves for who knows how long. They had to have captured him after the Great War, because the borders were still travelable. Before they managed to find him and cast him out, he created a key, infused with his magic. All six of the Primal Sources. His fury and hatred fueled his powers, and he somehow managed to sever the connection between Xadia and the Kingdoms, leaving A’Geleach as this weird connection point between the two lands. It’s said that those who find the key will have access to the gods. The power in it is unparalleled. Celestial as the Startouch elf that created it. In the wrong hands, I can’t imagine what it could do.”

“Do… Do you think it could reconnect Xadia to the Kingdoms?”

She looked at him in surprise. She’d never actually thought about it. Why would she? No one had ever wanted it as far as she was concerned. They were isolated, but the Moonshadow elves just adapted. “If it broke the connection, I don’t doubt it could mend it,” she said slowly.

“And you think Viren wants the key for what? Why attack A’Geleach?”

She sighed, feeling it rattle her bones. “I don’t know why he’d want the key specifically, but it’s for power. Literally, why would anyone else want it? He always seemed so horrified at the thought of elves and humans living together, so I don’t think he had plans of connecting—” She came up short, sitting straighter. “I… I think he wants to take the elves as slaves or something.” It was something he had said that was just out of grasp. The words were gone, but the idea was still there.

“And A’Geleach?” he asked again.

“There were rumors that A’Geleach housed the key in some super secret underground vault or something, but it’s absolute bullshit. If it was true, we’d have found it by now, and probably gone to war again with the humans.” She cringed at the violence of it, but it was the truth. The two races knew nothing but dissonance, and she sometimes wondered if the hatred was a part of her blood.

“So then…”

She tried not to roll her eyes. Always with the questions. It seemed like they would never end. Her throat was beginning to throb, but she would answer as many more as she could.

“What about  _ you? _ ”

She stared at him in confusion. “What about me?”

“What do you have to do with any of this?”

She barked out a laugh. “I don’t, I’m just some—”  _ Queensguard.  _ But that wasn’t right. To him, she was Princess Rayla. She steeled herself for his reaction. “I’m sorry, Callum. But I haven’t been very honest with you. I’m really just a nobody. The real princess is hopefully somewhere safe back in A’Geleach.”

He clenched his teeth multiple times. “You lied to me?”

“I couldn’t let them take her. She’s so young! And if they’d hurt her anything like they’d hurt me—” She flinched at the memories, something noticed by the prince before her.

He carefully stood, gathered map wrinkling slightly in his palm. He knelt at her side, placing a strangely gentle hand on her knee. “I understand why you did it, and I can’t hold it against you. I’m just glad you told me now and not later. One more thing. Why did they want the princess anyways?”

“T-There are other rumors that royal blood is need to activate the key, but that’s also more crap as far as I know.” Was her heart beating faster?

He nodded. “I guess we’ll just have to find out. Because that’s what we’re ultimately after, isn’t it?”

She bit her lip. “That wasn’t my intention. I just need a way to free my people, but now that you say this… The key is probably my best bet.  _ Shit _ . I don’t even know where to find it! There aren’t any clues.”

He gave her a reassuring squeeze. “Let’s figure out what Ez gave us, and then we can figure out the key.”

Yeah, her heart was  _ definitely  _ faster than before.

And the skin around her knee had to be on fire. There was no other way to describe the sensation.

His smile was lopsided and small. But it was enough to cause a chain reaction across her skin, flush spreading like a wildfire. 

“We don’t have  _ time _ ,” she lamented. “But he wouldn’t have given it to us if it wasn’t somehow important.”

“It looks like he stole it from Viren. There are messy notes on the back, but they don’t mean anything as far as I can tell. Honestly, they’re more like smudges anyways.”

She nodded, staring intently at the burning hand still on her leg. He immediately snatched the offending appendage towards his own body, falling back. “I-I’m sorry! It’s just—Sometimes that’s how—With Ez.” He rubbed his palm and forced a laugh. “Wow, okay. Let’s just… Not. Back to the map!”

“Right,” she dragged out. As a log crackled, she found herself eternally thankful the fire hid the redness of her skin. “The map.” 


	7. Chapter 7

Rayla scrutinized the dots once more, feeling a headache coming on. “I doubt it’s somewhere in Xadia. None of this looks cohesive to me. Maybe it’s supposed to be like a sort of topographical map?”

Callum gave a weird sort of smile, pulling a smaller piece of paper from his back pocket. “I have a map of the Kingdoms.” He rolled out the crumpled thing, doing his best to smooth down the ridges. When placed side by side, it still didn’t look anything alike.

“I swear, it’s a child’s drawing.” She crossed her arms and tried her best to squash down the steady rise of annoyance.

“What if I just…” His tongue poked out from his mouth as he began to rotate the smaller map, carefully examining the two in search of similarities.

She noticed a certain cluster, reaching out to halt his movements. “Wait a second. This kind of looks like that river, doesn’t it?”

He followed where her fingers traced along the presumably same path, beginning to nod more enthusiastically as he saw what she noted. “It’s not much, but I think you’re right.”

Her fingers slid to the edge of his smaller map but kept crawling along their dotted one. It was then she noticed one of the dots was actually red. “I thought this was just a stain,” she told him, holding it up to the fire. “But now it’s looking like an indicator of something. You don’t think…?”

“It might not be the key,” he began thoughtfully, “But it’s definitely something. _Especially_ knowing Viren. I know this river. We’re actually not that far. We’re right here.” He pointed at a brown triangle on his map. “And the river is there.” His pinky traced a short, diagonal line to the body of water. “If we can just follow this, we should be able to find what was marked off. It looks like we’ll be going through the countryside though. Can you handle it, _Princess_?” The emphasis on her false title made her want to shove him away in annoyance.

“Sure thing, _Prince_ ,” she shot back.

He’d better let that go if he wanted to have a smooth journey.

It had been weeks. 

They’d been following the river and were ever closer. But the map seemed to be larger than anticipated. They had been nonstop, but on occasion, they found time to relax. There wasn’t much movement that could be done during the moonless nights, especially with Callum’s lack of superior night vision. After he’d nearly broken his ankle, they’d made a joint decision that they would call it a night when he physically couldn’t continue.

It was one such night, the moon hidden, but the sky a brilliant array of stars. It was on nights like these that they would find an elevated spot and talk about everything and anything. Memories, both good and bad. Stories and myths. Sometimes when the nights were too cold and noses were red, they’d speak of fears in soft whispers. As if they would disappear alongside the burning embers of their fires.

Rayla gazed up at the sky, following the directions Callum was pointing out. “And that’s her belt where she kept the three lions’ heads.”

She grabbed his wrist, pushing it further southwest. Just beyond the Bleeding Star. “And that’s the edge of the Serpent, right?”

He nodded, flipping his hand to now grip her own. He then guided her index along twirling patterns. “And right there,” he said, stretching out each of the words, “are the fangs!”

She tilted her head a moment, the pattern suddenly familiar. “Wait a second. I know that. I’ve seen this before.”

He laughed, turning his head to gaze at her upturned face. “Of course, you know it. We’ve been learning the constellations for a month now at least.”

She placed a finger on his cheek, aiming his face towards the sky. “Follow my finger,” she told him, tracing the pattern painfully careful. “Do you see what I see?”

“Uh, the Serpent?” he said, sarcasm coloring his tone.

“Ugh, look again, you dork.” But he faced her once more. His breath skimmed across her face, and her stomach was suddenly in knots.

“I am looking,” he said softly.

She dared not meet his eyes. “ _No,_ you’re being difficult, Cal.”

“Am I?”

Had his voice just dipped? She bit her lip, ignoring the heat that threatened to consume her face. She sat up, tugging him to mirror her position.

She searched through his pack and pulled out the map, raising it to the sky.

“Look, Cal. It’s a map of the stars,” she revealed.

She couldn’t help the smug feeling that came across in waves as his face morphed through several emotions. She could see him connecting the dots, eyes narrowing. Tilting his head back. Mouthing something as his fingers moved across the sky and across the map she still held.  
“Holy shit, Princess. You’re right,” he breathed. He was full of awe, eyes scanning her face in a sort of new clarity.

She contemplated denying the nickname, but he had long since adopted it. And for some strange reason, it always made her heartbeat give a little kick. She placed her palm against her chest. At least she knew she was still alive. 

“I just don’t understand how we’re supposed to read it if the sky changes with time. What good is it if we aren’t in the exact same position?”

He rubbed his head, pulling a second map out from his bag. While it was the same, he had created it to eliminate their need to share. Sometimes, they each wanted time to look over it. Having the copy helped.

It was too dim, so she lit a small lamp to hold up to the page for him. As his finger moved along the ridges, she noticed he was outlining the Serpent repeatedly. 

“Those smudges…” he trailed off. “Wait!” He jerked up and pulled her along with him back into a cave they had found and made home for the night. They’d yet to start the small fire to keep warm, but the light from their lamps was enough to move around without stumbling.

“I’m sorry, Ray,” he winced, lightning bug in hand. “But it’s the only way.”

“What are you talking about? And where did you even catch that?” She raised a brow. Curiosity difficult to deny.

But he squished it, shouting, “ _Laever_!”

The wrongness of his actions scraped painfully against her body, and she began shaking. Even as the cave was suddenly alight with their own sort of galaxy, she felt no joy. “You told me you didn’t know dark magic,” she accused lowly.

He coughed violently, the lights around them rotating with the noise. “I have no magic. How else were we ever supposed to break the seal on this?” It was all but a snarl. He leaned heavily against the wall, struggling to even his breath out. “I did what I had to do.”

Still, how could she excuse his actions?

“First, it’s a lightning bug. Then, it’s a butterfly. A rabbit. Suddenly you’re killing fawns and Magma titans and then _people_ ,” she spat, hugging herself. “Where does it _end_ , you dummy?” 

Her heart hurt as much as the pounding against her head. Dark magic was such a slippery slope, and now he was hanging on the cusp of a ledge she wasn’t sure she would be able to pull him back from.

“I already told you. There was no other way to—” he turned away from her, running out. Moments later, she heard him throwing up their dinner.

She was torn, slightly vindicated by the violent physical reaction he was having. “Dark magic comes with a price! I thought you knew this.”

“I do,” his voice carried back in. “I’d only done it two or three times before I decided to never use it unless completely necessary.”

“So you know Dark magic?” She sounded funny to her own ears. Lost somewhere between interest, concern, and fury.

“I know how to read… And perform it, yes.” The admission was deliberate and strained. “I had to break the seal.”

She was beyond upset. There were lines that they couldn’t cross, yet he had a point. Without an elven mage or a Primal stone, the map was virtually useless. She pushed the hurt aside.

They were both liars, attempting to protect themselves from each other and a world that would be satisfied by nothing less than their sufferings. She wasn’t a princess, and he knew dark magic. They each had their reasons for keeping their secrets, but the revelation still stung. But had they known the truth, would they have trusted each other? Or would they have walked separate paths, and continued the tradition of hatred?

She shuddered to think about it.

“Don’t you dare ever use it unless it’s an absolute emergency. Dark magic can kill you!”

He gagged in response. Once he was done dry heaving, he made his way back to her. “Oh, trust me. I know.”

“Promise me you won’t do it unless there is _nothing_ else we can do.”

“Rayla, I don’t think—”

“ _Promise me_.” Her voice wavered.

There was a long silence, filled with his labored breathing and dry heaves. “I promise. I’m… I’m sorry.”

She nodded, accepting the apology despite lacking full satisfaction. He was right, of course. There was really no other way. But it didn’t mean she would just accept his carelessness and betrayal.

He came back in, leaning heavily against the wall. He rinsed his mouth and then took a long swig from a canteen.

“Let’s just get back to the stars,” she muttered, tiredness flooding her bones.

“That red smudge, er, dot. It’s the Bleeding star.” He ran a hand across the map and the stars moved with him. “It’s currently here in the sky.” They circled around, and she noticed a faint red line descending from it.

“It’s telling us to go _there_ ,” she said. “Although I’m not sure where “there” is. We’re just supposed to follow the star until what, exactly?”

Callum pursed his lips, putting the map to his nose almost. “The smudges sort of cleared! It says ‘do not fear your reflection.’ But that’s really helpful either, is it?”

“It’s clear enough that we just need to head towards the Bleeding Star. We’ll worry about that later. For now, you need to lay down. You look like you’re about to pass out,” she said with a frown.

He nodded, sliding down the wall. He put the map back into the bag as she started a fire. Once it had steadied, she glanced over to see him still bent over the pack. He seemed stuck in that position. She went to his side, purposefully making noise. He always did complain when she moved silently. It was natural for her and her training had only helped foster her quietness. But he wasn’t in a state to be teased right now.

He smelled of death.

She flinched away but was glad he missed the movement. She needed to be strong for him and for herself right now. 

Her arm went around his back as his went over her shoulder. She helped lower him down with care to where his sleeping area had been constructed. As she moved to get her own blankets, his hand wrapped around her forearm. 

“Please don’t leave me.” The words were a hoarse whisper, nearly lost to the cackling fire.

She swallowed thickly, mouth a desert. “I’m right here,” she said, equally soft.

He reached up to capture the strands of her hair that had fallen out of her ponytail between his index and thumb. “Your hair is getting long.”

“We’ve been travelling for some time now. It was bound to happen. And I refuse to let you touch my blades.” 

She didn’t want to think of how he’d butcher her locks. He’d asked her to keep his hair in check once it grew beyond his neck, but he didn’t care for its vague unevenness. It was short enough that it wasn’t noticeable.

She gazed at him.

He would need another haircut soon.

She thought back to the start of their journey. Not only had he found her voice, but he’d also found her blades after their first interaction. He’d told her he assumed they were hers by the crests on the hilts as well as the weird mechanisms that changed their shape. He’d then hid them at their first pit stop, the Banther Lodge. He’d feared someone would find them if he kept them in the castle.

She owed him more than she’d ever thought.

“Stay,” he tried again. “It’s cold out there, and I’m not feeling… I’m not okay.”

“Yeah because you were dumb and used Dark magic,” she told him harshly. But there was something about the look he gave her. Darkening green holding secrets she wanted to know but was scared of. A challenge and a promise. Of what, she was also unsure.

“Please, Ray.”

She was hopeless to deny him. She grabbed her blankets and found her way back to him. She got settled in. He had turned to his side, and she pressed her back against his own. Her silent comfort. The heat of him and the fire was almost unbearable. 

_Almost_.

“Can you tell me about Elarion again?”

She smiled into her hands even though he couldn’t see her. He’d come to love the story as much as she, and he was constantly asking her to retell it.

She took a deep breath, comforted by the movements of his own back against her own. “Of course. There once was a maiden, barely living in a world so cruel…”


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> uwu

They had been following the star for what felt like an eternity. The season had changed into a violent and angry winter. They’d managed to buy appropriate clothes from one of the rural towns, but it took a toll on them, nonetheless. Even the longer nights, Rayla noticed, were beginning to weigh on Callum’s mood. They were, in many ways, helpless to aid each other.

“I can’t do it anymore,” Callum huffed, flopping onto the ground. Before them was a huge pool of water, stretching on either side of them as far as the eye could see. Some ways in front was an enormous waterfall, the roar strangely muted. Even with the sometimes ferocious winds that blew through, the trees remained still.

Something was… off.

“It’s fine. I don’t even think we can keep going anyways.” She watched the water wearily. There was no way they could go through it. She wouldn’t be able to. Besides, then they’d have to figure out how to go up the huge waterfall. It was out of the question. “Tell me… Tell me this wasn’t all in vain. Because to go around this to move forward? It’s nearly impossible.”

He sighed forcefully and she nearly felt it herself. He pulled out the map, but when he opened it, nothing happened. “What’s going on? Where is it?” As he began fiddling with the paper, she tilted her head back to the sky.

Lead filled her stomach. “Cal? What time is it?”

“Um, a quarter to two.”

She raised a finger to the sky, shaking his shoulder slightly. “Then tell me why the star of Aaravos is shining like it’s midnight?”

“ _ Do not fear your reflection _ .”

“Do you think it’s behind the waterfall then? What we’re looking for?”

“It… It has to be something with the water. I-I can’t,” she said, trying not to hyperventilate. 

The thought of having to go through the lake? She would die, she realized as she sank down.

Immediately, Callum was kneeling at her side, warm palm rubbing circles into her back. “Just breathe. Hey, listen to my voice, Ray.” He guided her head between her knees. “Name one thing you see.”

“Grass.”

“Feel?”

“M-my coat.”

“Smell?”

“Pine.”

“And hear?”

“You,” she whispered, shaking beginning to intensify.

“It’s okay. Focus on my voice. Tell me again.”

And so she did. So many times, it almost became a mantra. He tethered her to this forsaken land when she wanted nothing more than to fly away into oblivion on the winter wind.

How many times had she done the same for him? When the nightmares ran rampant and the ghostly memories of his mother cried out. When Ezran lay still, glassy eyes frozen in fear. When hearing the atrocities of her people done by his own.

It was always hard looking at each other  _ after _ . She was a Queensguard, damnit. And he was a prince. They were supposed to be immovable stones, but she supposed even rocks could become eroded over time. It was always a bit embarrassing, but neither were perfect. And that was a pill she would just have to swallow.

“Tell me the story of Elarion,” she whispered, and his exhalation was one of amusement.

“There once was a maiden, barely living in a world so cruel…”

When she awoke, night had fallen. Callum had started a fire that she was almost too close to.

“Hey,” she called to his back. He immediately turned to face her, lopsided smile.

“Rayla, you’re up!” He moved closer to the fire, and she stared at the fragments of his face, broken apart by the moving flames.

She had to tell him. “You know I’m scared of water.”

“You may have mentioned it a time or two.” His stupid eyes always killed her.

She shifted her gaze to his ears. That made it a bit easier. “My parents drowned. And I almost joined them. There’s nothing more to it. But it always reminds me of the noises. I was  _ dying,  _ Cal. I could have actually died, and I nearly did. There’s a piece of me thinks that’s how I’ll die. I denied death once. To go back into the water? It’s to invite death back to my door and letting it in.”

Silence stretched, and the sound of her heart pounding overpowered all the other ambient noises around them, which were limited anyways.

“I’m so sorry, Rayla. Losing the people that you care about is never easy.” She bit the inside of her cheek. He knew plenty about it, too. And if what Ezran had said all those nights ago wasn’t true, then he was an orphan just as she.

She stood up, brushing the grass off her knees. She went to his side, resting on her knees. Like this, she was a bit taller than him. Their eyes met, and a strange feeling bubbled in her chest. It wasn’t new by any means. Not anymore. But it always caught her off guard. She carefully wrapped her arms around him, pulling his shoulder against her sternum. He didn’t move for a moment, and she was beginning to doubt her decision.

She had never been a hugger, something she blamed on Runaan. While Tinker was always so physical, Runaan was always so prim and proper. He had always clearly cherished displays of affection, but to get him to return them took a bit more finessing.

Then he began to move, one arm wrapping around her upper back as his other went to her waist. His fingertips were delicate bites, even through all of her winter gear. His head fell against her shoulder, and her hand found its way against the side of his head. She had long since removed her gloves, and the feel of his strands against her skin was different from when she was cutting his hair.

She began to hum. Carefully so as to not accidentally bump into him with her horns, she rested her head against his own.

“It can’t all be for nothing,” he said, words muffled by the fabric of her jacket.

“I know.”

“Do not fear your reflection,” he repeated. “What are you singing?”

“It’s called Elarion’s Lament. Although, I never really did understand the lyrics.”

He pulled back, hands going to her forearms as she fell back to her heels. “Can you sing it for me? I can’t believe you never told me about it!”

She shrugged. “It’s been a long time since I thought about it. To be honest, I forgot it was a thing. The melody just… Reappeared I guess.” She cleared her throat. “And don’t judge my singing skills.”

“I would never,” he said, amusement back on his face.

__

_ A maiden lay _

_ In a bed of stars, _

_ Drowning in the moonlight. _

_ Heart afar. _

__

_ A maiden swirling, _

_ Fingers the architect of galaxies. _

_ Ripples of time _

_ Mirrored in the sky. _

__

_ A maiden cried, _

_ Delicate shooting stars _

_ Falling from the heavens. _

_ Body of starlight scars. _

__

_ A maiden sank _

_ Into the frigid void _

_ Unto reflection _

_ Almost her own. _

__

_ A maiden touched _

_ By the darkened stars. _

_ The death beyond _

_ Feeding the fire within. _

__

_ A maiden kissed, _

_ Lips stained stardust. _

_ Midnight tongues aflame, _

_ Darkness crawling across skin. _

__

_ A maiden entangled. _

_ “Aaravos,” revered. _

_ “Elarion,” exalted. _

_ The archmage ensnared. _

__

_ Binary stars, _

_ A violently ardent collision. _

_ His midnight astral, _

_ A brilliance collapsed. _

__

_ Withered to celestial ashes _

_ Placed amongst the night sky. _

_ Ascendant grown dim, _

_ Empyrean key forsaken. _

_ A forgotten nebula lost. _

__

He gave her a funny look as she finished, and she self-consciously touched her face. “What?” she snapped, standing up.

“I—You sing beautifully,” he told her earnestly. “Can you help me write that down?”

She repeated the song, watching as he quickly scribbled the lyrics. Once he was done, he presented them to her. “Is this right?”

A quick scan through confirmed it.

“One more time, please?” He was nearly begging as she approached the water’s edge. She was becoming restless.

She made a face at him. “Once, and that’s it.”

However, this time, as she sang, they noticed the reflection of the Bleeding Star on the water begin to shine brightly, almost painfully. She stopped, in the middle of it, and the light returned to normal.

“Oh, shit. Cal, do you think…?”

“That the song has something to do with our map and the key?” He nodded, staring at the water. “Rayla, I don’t know how to tell you this but—”

“I know,” she interrupted. “I’ve had a feeling since the second we got here. We’re going to have to get into the water.”

He gave her a sympathetic look. “I just can’t see how else to do this. The map said do not fear your reflection. That seems pretty reflective to me. At first, I thought it meant straight into a mirror of some sort, but that wouldn’t make sense. And I’m starting to think it meant—”

“The water's reflection. Yeah, I get that logic.  _ Bed of stars, mirrored in the sky, frigid void, reflection. _ ” She repeated. The water, even with the enormous waterfall, was oddly peaceful. So crystalline that the night sky was perfectly reflected by it.

“Straight down where the Bleeding Star is on the water, I bet.”

“ _ Fuck. _ ”


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I cannot thank yall enough for all the kind comments and support this story has received. It has been an eternal source of encouragement for me as I've struggle with some pretty crazy writer's block.  
> Please enjoy this chapter!

After much stumbling around in the night, they actually happened across a boat. It was pure luck but did little to quell Rayla’s nerves. She had somehow managed to climb into it without incident, but the sway as Callum rowed was making her queasy. And he wanted her to  _ dive  _ in? She couldn’t even swim.

“You’re crazy,” she snarled, shaking her head.

“Ray, you know we don’t have a choice. And you agreed to it knowing what was going to happen.” He leaned towards her, cupping her face and forcing her to look at him. “I know you’re scared, Princess. But I’m right here with you.”

She placed one of her trembling hands over his. “What a sad prince.” It was weak, but at least she was trying to make things lighter.

“Just don’t let go of me,” he told her seriously. “I’ll pull you down.”

Her laughter was nearly hysterical. “I never thought you would try to drown me.”

“That’s not funny. On three, okay?” She nodded, his hand now wrapping around her own. He gave a slight squeeze. She gripped him so tightly, her knuckles went white. But he made no outward indication of pain, although she knew he was hurting. She couldn’t help herself. “One—” He dived in without warning, her cry cut short as freezing water filled her mouth.

He began swimming, and she kicked her legs to help him. There wasn’t much else she could do without getting separated. It was so cold, the water felt more like needles stabbing into her. She’d probably never feel again. The agonizing temperatures made her lose sense of where she ended and where her surroundings began. Her lungs started to constrict painfully, and she knew she was running out of air. It was a feeling that had haunted her whole life. She forced her eyes open, desperate to see an end to this suffering.

She was in an abyss, no longer even sure if she was holding onto Callum. Her sense of direction had left her. But her legs kept pumping, desperate for any escape. Soon, there was a faint red glow. She headed towards it in desperation. It almost looked like another pool of water.

She and Callum finally got to it, just as stars were beginning to dot across her vision. She was going to drown. But he placed their joint hands against the water within water, and she saw their reflection. 

Something strange was happening.

Callum’s eyes were some sort of purple, nearly black. And Rayla was suddenly covered in Moonshadow bindings, reminding her of all the potential lives she could have indirectly destroyed in her tardiness. Her other hand went to press against the substance, finding resistance.

The red was dimming.

Her lungs were on the verge of collapse.

She was going to  _ die _ .

She violently kicked her legs, nails digging into what she hoped was Callum’s skin. The water resistance gave way under her ferocity, and the pair fell through onto stone.

She gasped, heaving in as much air as she could as water fell around them like a tiny rainstorm. Tears rolled down her face, so it took her some time to realize she was no longer wet or cold. 

“Callum,” she gasped out, turning to him. He immediately opened his arms, and she leapt into them. His rapid heartbeat against her ear was more comforting than anything else.

“It’s fine, we’re fine.” But his voice shook a bit. “We’re alive.” It was said as much for himself as it was for her.

She stood up, leaning heavily upon the cave walls. “Where are we?” They had spent so much time trying to find this forsaken place, and they didn’t even know  _ why _ . She couldn’t afford to sit around, as much as she wished to curl up and cry enough to flood the stupid lake they’d gone through.

“I—I don’t know. Are you okay?” The concern coloring his voice warmed the slight chill of her toes and fingers.

“No. Are you?” She didn’t feel like talking about it further.

“I don’t think so. But we have to keep moving, don’t we?

“Yes,” she sighed. “I was just about to say.”

“I know you were.” The look she gave him was sharp, but he shrugged. “You’re making a face. I know what you’re thinking. Come on, then.”

He held out his hand, and she hesitated a moment. It was so intimate, and she had so often watched his hands as they did various activities. The extra finger on humans had always fascinated her, and she wondered what it was like. What benefit did it even serve them? She could do just as much as he did without any hindrance.

She couldn’t meet his eyes as she interlocked her hand with his. He tugged her along, surprising her as he didn’t let go. His palms were soft, a testament to his royal status. But there were strange callouses along his fingers that reminded her of his artistic flair. Whenever she peaked at his sketchbook, she often found herself slightly jealous. Her skills were all violent. She wasn’t ashamed of that. She just wished sometimes she had that same gentleness in her.

“You do,” he said softly, but it echoed. She jerked away in surprise, but his grip persisted. “You’re a gentle soul, even if you can’t see it, Rayla.”

Her cheeks had to be on fire. She hadn’t even realized she’d spoken aloud. And how much had she said? It wasn’t something she wanted to know. “Is this where I’m supposed so say thank you?”

He laughed, and she watched his shoulders bounce. “Snap at me all you want, Princess. You know it doesn’t bother me anymore. I get what you’re trying to say.”

She bit her lip to prevent another snide remark slip.

They continued like that in silence for some time, hands intertwined, until there was a fork in the cave. The path to their right had a faint glow. They stared at it for a while before she realized what it was.

“Primal stone,” they said at the same time.

She looked at him in warning. “Don’t you dare. It can’t be real, Callum. It’s just too easy!”

There was a war on his face, but she knew what he would choose. Soon, he let go of her, and she reached out after him to only brush his fingertips.

“ _ Don’t _ .”

He stood before it, circling the pedestal with interest. “You don’t understand, Ray. I… I can have it all back!”

“At what cost,” she snarled. “Our lives? You’d really think Ez would send us here for some Primal stone?”

“Why not?” he shot back.

“Because Primal stones aren’t so rare that they require a whole other  _ dimension _ . You’re making a mistake. That thing has to be a trick. And for what?”

“For a piece of me that I’ve been missing the second I destroyed the Sky Primal stone! The moon, your magic, it’s  _ in  _ you. But what’s in me? An empty void that’ll suck me in whole? I’m empty, Ray. What part of that don’t you understand?”

She reached out for him again, but he gripped the orb, eyes burning into hers. “Please,” she whispered, but it was too late. He lifted it from its nest, and the ground beneath them began to shake. “You dummy.” She shook her head, running to him as the cave began to crumble.

The orb burst, vines climbing through the falling rubble. Quickly, she wrapped an arm around his side. 

“Hold onto me,” she shouted over the noise, and he clutched at her. 

They fell into an abyss. Rayla tried desperately to dig her sword into a cave wally, blindly striking around her. Finally, she found purchase, and her arm jerked painfully. She cried out, nearly losing her hold on Callum, but his grip on her was strong.

“Rayla!”

“I’m okay, I’m okay!” Her shoulder was on fire. Her back was practically torn apart with the changing weight distributions.

They slid down further and finally onto more solid ground. She clung to the new wall, pulling him beside her. The rocks and vines continued to descend around them, and she could only hope they wouldn’t be squashed. After an eternity, all was silent again, although she was having trouble breathing with the newfound dust.

He broke the silence. “Rayla, if I’d had my magic, we would’ve been okay.”

“It’s not about the magic, Callum!”

“You have to understand, I am  _ nothing _ without my magic.  _ Nothing _ ! And I’ll never have it again. Not without a Primal stone. I’m just a human. A  _ sad prince _ ,” he said, tone colored with sarcasm. “How am I supposed to be any help if all I do is create more problems for us? We could have died.  _ You  _ could have died because of me.”

“And magic wouldn’t have changed that. It’s not about  _ having  _ magic. We all have the capacity for it, otherwise humans couldn’t channel Primal Sources. It’s about our intentions. When are you going to see that?” 

If he thought magic was swirling fingers and High Draconic, he was an idiot.

“I just…”

“To be human isn’t to be empty.”

“Then what is it?”

She gave him a sad smile, even though she knew he couldn’t see it. It was nearly black, and she was eternally grateful for her enhanced vision. “To be human is like to be an elf. It’s about love, and what you can do with what you’ve been given. And you know who taught me that?  _ You _ .”

And he had. Through his silent touches, his quiet acts. The calm in his heart that extended to everyone around him. If only he could see himself like she did.

“I…”

But really, what did anyone say to that?

She gripped the fabric of his jacket, guiding his hand to her back. “Hold onto me. Let’s go,” she sighed, beginning to massage her shoulder. That was going to be sore for a while.

They pressed forward, the silence for the first time they’d set off together uncomfortably still.


End file.
